EFN calls for review of editor’s suspension

The Editors’ Forum of Namibia (EFN) has broken its silence on the suspension of New Era managing editor Johnathan Beukes, and approached the media ombudsman to intervene in the matter.

Beukes was suspended on 29 September until the end of October, allegedly without being informed of the charges against him.

The EFN says Beukes, while fulfilling his journalistic duty, expressed concerns that led to his suspension.

It is alleged that Beukes was suspended because of articles published by the state-owned newspaper recently, including articles and an editorial comment about the appointment of former Zimbabwean judge Moses Chinhengo as an acting judge of Namibia’s High Court.

EFN chairperson Frank Steffen underscored the need to uphold press freedom and the media’s right to express itself without hindrance.

“Freedom of the press […] should be considered a right to be exercised freely,” he said.

The EFN had a meeting on the matter and raised questions about the suspension, particularly regarding the absence of a formal complaint against Beukes.

The EFN stressed that Beukes’ actions were not transgressions but rather a call for transparency from a state department.

The EFN asserted that, under such circumstances, the issue should have been referred to the media ombudsman.

The EFN also expressed criticism towards New Era chief executive Christof Maletsky, for publicly accusing Beukes of wrongdoing without adhering to due process.

In response to these concerns, the EFN has decided to engage the media ombudsman, John Nakuta, to review the articles that allegedly prompted Beukes’ suspension and assess its alignment with the EFN’s code of ethics and conduct for the Namibian media.

The EFN stressed the importance of safeguarding media freedom and ethical journalism practices in Namibia and called on New Era’s management to actively support press freedom in both rhetoric and actions.